Bradley Wiggins, new cycling hero

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

WHEN Englishman track cyclist Bradley Wiggins won a bronze medal in the individual pursuit race during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, I did not give much attention to him. Even the sports writers in his own country England, very few gave much weight to him and were skeptical to say that the Belgium-born, London raised Wiggins is a cyclist to reckon with in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. But yes, he shocked his country by winning the gold in the individual pursuit race, silver in the team pursuit and bronze in the Madison race, all in track (velodrome) events.

He was the first British athlete in 40 years to win three medals in one Olympic Games. Not only that, four years later, he bagged his second gold and successfully defended his title as the “individual pursuit king” in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the only rider in this event to duplicate the feat. He also helped the England team to win the gold in the team pursuit race to the delight of the British people and undoubtedly became a sports hero in his own country. Not satisfied about it, few months after the Beijing Games he joined the UCI World Track Cycling Championship in Manchester, England and won three gold medals and established a record-breaking feat for his English team in the team pursuit race (4 kms.), clocking the fastest of all-time in the world at 3:53:314 minutes, beating the dreaded Denmark squad. That’s really quite amazing, hindi po ba?

Obviously his specialty is track racing and his forte is the individual pursuit race. And maybe tired or fed up of racing in the track, he switched and focused on road racing events and captured the Tour de France (TdF) tiara this year, replacing the aging and defending champion Cadel Evans of Austrailia. But before his sterling achievement in this year’s TdF, his best finish in multi-stage racing was a fourth place in the 2009 TdF and third in the 2011 Vuelta Espana (Tour of Spain) and bagged a silver medal in the time-trial race during the 2011 Road Race Cycling Championship held in Copenhagen, Denmark. And now he’s the king of the TdF, the most prestigious bicycle race in the world.

No doubt he’s now the talk of the French people who call him “Le Gentleman Wiggins” because of his bashfulness, and being articulate, bright, and intelligent. Bradley, the son of former Australian professional cyclist Gary Wiggins, was estranged from his father. He was brought up by his mother Linda and his stepfather Brendon in north London where he was raised and educated.  But despite being a mellow fellow, Bradley, father of two children, is very critical of doping, accusing those cyclists who are always allegedly involved in taking artificial stimulant just to win some stages of the TdF and especially the crown. Born on April 28, 1980, the 32 year-old Bradley’s main aim now is to win gold or gold medals anew in this coming Olympic Games, which will be held in his turf, London. I believe he can do it in the individual or team pursuit again, the 40-kilometer road time-trial or even the Madison race. Let’s wait and see. He’s my new cycling hero, and I guess also the new sports hero of the entire United Kingdom people.

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My big congrats to my friend Dante de Castro for being selected by the International Amateur Boxing Association to officiate as referee-judge of the2012 London Olympic Games started July 27. The former alderman of Anda and a teacher in the University of Luzon is the president of our country’s amateur boxing referees association. Being a karatedo athlete before during his younger days, the best that he won was a bronze medal during the 15th Southeast Asia Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His Pangasinan referees were the ones who officiated the 2010and 2011 San Marcelino, Zambales Amateur Boxing Tournament which I organized and sponsored by Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. and Mayor Jose Rodriguez in conjunction with the celebration of its town fiesta.

Mabuhay ka Dante! We are proud of you.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. PROVERBS 3: 5-8

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